Cherry Point Air Show gets national attention

Wednesday

USA Today enjoys a good list, including one earlier this year that asked people to vote for their favorite North Carolina beach. (Emerald Isle was the winner, by the way.)

Now, a new voting list is out that is bringing some national attention to Cherry Point and Havelock.

USA Today is asking for people to vote for their favorite air show in the country, and the Cherry Point Air Show is among the 20 national nominees.

“It’s exciting to get some national recognition for what we here in the area already know is the best air show in the country,” Havelock Mayor Will Lewis said. “A lot of people put a whole lot of work into making it a great air show. Whenever you see people who put that amount of work into something, it’s great when they get some recognition.”

Voting is done online through the website at www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-air-show/. Those interested can vote once per day through noon on July 23 when the contest ends. Results are scheduled to be announced on Aug. 3. As of Tuesday, Cherry Point was first in the balloting, with air shows in Pensacola, Fla., Huntington Beach, Calif., Fort Worth, Texas and Ypsilanti, Mich., rounding out the top five.

Though the Cherry Point Air Show is in first place, Lewis knows what can be done to keep it in first place at the end of voting.

“I would encourage every one of those thousands of people who attended the air show to go online and vote for it,” he said.

The Cherry Point Air Show takes place once every two years. The most recent air show on May 4 to 6 featured the Navy Blue Angels and the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, the first time ever that Cherry Point had hosted two national military jet demonstration teams at the same show. The event also featured a variety of civilian aerobatic pilots, military flight demonstrations, static displays of modern and historical aircraft, a play zone for children and a concert featuring country music singer Jordan Davis.

About 100,000 people attended the three-day event, with rain on the third day limiting the crowd. An estimated 200,000 attended the event in 2016, when the Blue Angels also voted Cherry Point as its top air show of the year.

Mike Barton, Communication Strategy and Operations director at Cherry Point, credited the support of air show professionals as well as the Marine Corps air station’s large flight line as reasons so many enjoy the show.

“MCAS Cherry Point’s massive runway system and roomy flight line gives us plenty of room for unlimited aerobatic performances, spectacular ground performances, and a huge lineup of flight line displays,” he said.

He said planning for 2020 show began shortly after the 2018 event ended, the first step of which was to submit paperwork requesting the return of the Blue Angels.

“Ultimately, this isn’t just an air show to us,” Barton said. “It is a great opportunity for the American public to get up close and personal with their U.S. Marines, Sailors, and other service members to learn more about our capabilities and, more importantly, the caliber of the men and women who make up America’s military today. It is also a way for us to say thanks to the community that supports us while we train as America’s force in readiness.”

Bruce Fortin, executive director of the Havelock Chamber of Commerce, said the appreciation the Havelock community has for Cherry Point and the appreciation base personnel have for Havelock create a special relationship that is displayed through the air show. He credited Col. Todd Ferry, the base’s commanding officer, and Sgt. Maj. Paul McElearney, the base sergeant major, for embracing the relationship between the air station and the community.

“Many Havelock residents are either retired Marines who have served aboard Cherry Point or have someone in their family that has served our nation,” Fortin said. “This community recognizes and understands the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform. Our community also understands the importance of what they do on a daily basis. It’s from this place of deep appreciation that makes the MCAS Cherry Point Air Show so successful year after year.”

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